By: debbie lynn elias
When it comes to SAFE HAVEN, I can safely say without hesitation, The Best Romance Since The Notebook. And although an adaptation from the Nicholas Sparks best-seller of the same name, SAFE HAVEN stands on its own legs as a true adaption for the screen, altering the plot point time line, creating a taut psychological thriller of an opening that sets the film in motion, and then stealing your heart with sparks flying in one of the sweetest film romances to bloom on screen since, well, “The Notebook.”
Leave it to Nicholas Sparks to capture the heart and boost the stock of Kleenex, while director Lasse Hallstrom pulls you to the edge of your seat blending mystery with pure emotion and sweet romance. No stranger to a Sparks adaptation, having directed Dear John some years ago, Hallstrom deftly weaves his magic with a script by Dana Stevens and Nicholas Sparks, all of which comes together with stunning imagery compliments of cinematographer Terry Stacey, charming chemistry between Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel, and scene stealing little sweetheart, Mimi Kirkland.
A woman on the run, Katie is lost, alone and afraid. After a daring departure from parts unknown, she boards a bus bound for the Southern United States. Arriving in the sleepy beach community of Southport, North Carolina, she is struck by the calmness and serenity and decides to not get back on the bus. With one stop shopping at the only local “market”, it doesn’t take long for Katie to meet Alex, who is immediately smitten with the petite angelic woman. But Katie, frightened and harboring some sort of secret, is none to interested in getting acquainted with anyone, let alone Alex.
Alex himself is a widower. Left alone with two young children, Lexi and Josh, Alex is as much as part of the fabric of Southport as the sea itself. Trying to move forward in his own life and find happiness again, but not quite certain if he, or his children, are ready, Alex is tentative and unsure in his contact with Katie; so much so that it often looks like his young daughter Lexi is the one calling the shots and looking ahead to the future! But, Alex presses forward in his efforts to find love again.
Meantime, Katie feels like she’s found a “home.” Living alone in a quaint cabin in a secluded woodsy area, while working as a waitress at a local pier diner, her only female friend is another loner named Jo. Jo herself seems like she, too, is trying to escape – escape the city, escape responsibility, escape life. But it doesn’t take long for a much needed and welcoming kinship to develop between the women. And as their friendship grows stronger, so does the bond between not only Katie and Alex, but Katie, Lexi and Josh.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard one tries, you can never outrun the past – or secrets – and just when Katie is lulled into the safety and sweetness of this new life she has found in Southport with Alex, her past appears at her front door, threatening the SAFE HAVEN of a future.
I absolutely adore Josh Duhamel in the role of Alex. On one hand he is a kind but firm father, imparting morals and lessons on his children while trying to rebuild a life after the death of his wife. On the other, he is still “one of the guys”, but a responsible guy. And then Julianne Hough’s Katie comes into the mix and Duhamel turns into a blushing school boy. Beyond charming.
Hand-in-hand with Duhamel’s blushing school boy is Julianne Hough’s blushing school girl. These two are not only a beautiful couple physically, but there is a great innocence and sweetness between them that is welcoming and refreshing. They make you want to get to know them as they each work through the pain of their past. Hough doesn’t connect quite as well as Duhamel and seems a bit off when conveying fear during night scenes, not quite reaching the emotional pitch necessary to make me believe she was afraid of things that go bump in the night. But when Duhamel and Hough are together or Hough and the kids are together, it’s sweet magic.
As if watching the romance blossom between Katie and Alex isn’t enough, while being quietly yet sharply reminded of the secrets from Katie’s past that may destroy this happiness at any moment, toss in the adorable beyond adorable Mimi Kirkland. SCENE STEALING SWEETHEART!! Producer Marty Bowen recalls “When we met her in the room, she was as effervescent as anyone. She just lit it up.” During filming it turned out that Kirkland “was always the best improvisor in the room but always got back to where she needed to be in a scene. She’s just remarkable.” And then put Kirkland with Duhamel. That’s it. That’s all you need. You could make an entire film with just the two of them. This is a man who’s made for fatherhood as he lights up and the screen lights up whenever he’s with the kids.
As Jo, Cobie Smulders is a great visual and emotional contrast to Hough. She pulls off the necessary air of mystique before an ultimate big reveal in the last 10 minutes of the film. She gives a grounding sensibility that hints at darkness, dovetailing nicely with the darkness of Katie’s former life and harbored secrets. And talk about darkness! Where did David Lyons come from? Talk about frenetic insanity! Believable, dark intensity that as Kevin he plays with such physicality. By the time we get to the climactic action sequence complete with fire and guns and a trapped child, plus an attack on Katie, Lyons has Kevin so out of control to elicit true fright just watching.
A Nicholas Sparks story that opens like a taut psychological thriller?! WOW! I love it. I was on the edge of my seat with the opening frame and my interest was fueled by the energy of not only the opening score, but the rapier editing and perfect angular camera lensing. Dynamic, attention getting. Immediately has one asking questions – Who is this girl? Who’s dead? Who is the man chasing her? Curiosity is immediately piqued. Were this the book I was reading and were it structured as the film, I would have been flying through the pages to see what comes next. As opined by producer Wyck Godfrey, “The greatest love stories have life and death stakes. You at least need to feel like it’s about life and death. That’s how you feel when you’re in love.” And SAFE HAVEN definitely holds life and death stakes. . .Ultimately these are two really broken damaged people and the only way they’re going to heal is through love. And the only chance they’re going to have to get out of their situations is to love again.”
Expounding, Godfrey notes, “One of the things I love about this book…is that this is about second chances. ..These are two people who had that first shot and the scariest thing about when that first shot for whatever reason didn’t work out is to be thrust into love again. I think what this book does very well is put two people in a situation – Josh has a very emotional reason why it’s scary for him to love again and she has a very physical reason why it’s dangerous for her to love again. That’s the part of the drama that Marty [Bowen] and I really fell in love with… Finding something where you really feel like these people will die if they are not together. That’s what this movie does really well.”
Seamlessly dovetailing his producing partner, Marty Bowen is quick to reflect on the thematic element of “second chances” that resonates with us all. “As much as we all talk about ‘the love of your life’, ‘the one true love’, if we’re really being honest, it’s really about second chances because more of us can relate to having screwed something up at some point in our life.”
Godfrey is the first to admit that Lasse Hallstrom “brings an authenticity to relationships that I think is unparalleled.” Casting his own spell, Hallstrom masterfully builds tension while tugging at the heartstrings and making the heart smile. Each of the characters, and the setting, is relatable and authentic, particularly for me as a someone who has spent decades in East Coast beach communities.
Once Hallstrom draws us into the mystery of Katie and her story, he delves into that relationship authenticity, delivering an emotional shift to the beauty of the North Carolina seashore community. Calming. Pastoral. Beautiful. Hallstrom makes the world immersive. You feel the serenity, the beauty, the calm and safety. The entire tonal bandwidth shifts into this bright and beautiful serenity. And the metaphor of the power & strength of the ocean/power & strength of people embraces the entire theme.
Terry Stacey casts his own spell with the cinematography, capturing and celebrating the beauty of the region, but at the same time creating a powerful dark contrast. And talk about a money shot – – – I could get lost bathed in the sunlit beauty of the canoeing sequence. Stunning perfection. And like Hallstrom, Stacey is no stranger to the world of Nicholas Sparks which I truly believe helps in capturing the emotional essence of a Sparks story.
Kara Lindstrom’s production design adds to the magic of this “SAFE HAVEN”. And dare I say it, but Katie’s cabin in the woods is near the top of my wish list. Quaint beauty.
While there are identifiable elements that may bring to mind other stories/films within the context of this story structure, thanks to the producing pairing of Godfrey, Bowen and Sparks, SAFE HAVEN steps it up a notch for a Sparks film adaptation dealing more with consequences and “ghosts” of the past as opposed to focusing solely on the romantic pairing. There is more depth and layering to SAFE HAVEN than we have seen previously in a Sparks film, much of which I believe is thanks to the latitude of the producers and their complete understanding of the undertones and emotion of the film. Are there some questionable events or designs within the film? Yes. (And I won’t say what they are as they would be spoilers) But they don’t detract from the mystery, the sweetness, the romance, or the need for ample tissues.
The icing on the cake? The final spark in the fireworks? A heartfelt emotional and powerful score by Deborah Lurie and original song (that is a “must own”) entitled We Both Know performed by Colbie Caillat and Gavin Degraw. That song alone will bring a tear to your eye.
A “safe” bet for a wonderful moviegoing experience, especially this Valentine’s weekend, take a chance and wrap yourself in the mystery and romance of SAFE HAVEN.
Directed by Lasse Hallstrom
Written by Dana Stevens based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.
Cast: Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, Cobie Smulders, David Lyons, Mimi Kirkland and Noah Lomax
